Ridley Was ‘Moved’ By Rey’s Parentage Reveal

Daisy Ridley says she was impacted emotionally when she read the moment of Rey’s parentage reveal in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Ever since the young scavenger debuted in 2015’s The Force Awakens, her heritage has been one of the biggest mysteries in the sequel trilogy. There are no shortage of fan theories as viewers speculate where she came from, but it fortunately won’t be much longer until the truth finally comes out. While Rey’s family is allegedly less important than she thinks, Episode VIII holds the answers many are looking for.

The Last Jedi has a lot on its plate, but Rey’s history will undoubtedly be one of the film’s biggest moments. It’s something the franchise has been building up to for years, and there’s an enormous amount of pressure on writer/director Rian Johnson to deliver a satisfying answer. Time will tell if what he came up with will please the masses, but Ridley certainly was affected when she saw it for herself.

Related: Did Adam Driver Spoil Rey’s Parentage?

In an interview with Yahoo Japan (hat tip Star Wars News Net), Ridley was once again asked about Rey’s parentage (hearing the hypothesis she’s Luke’s daughter once more). The actress obviously couldn’t reveal too much, but she did tease that it will be a poignant scene in the movie:

“Whatever the answer is, I hope everyone will enjoy that moment. I knew the answer a few years ago, but the story that Rian Johnson created was so wonderful I couldn’t believe it, honestly I was very moved. I think that everyone will be in that moment.”

Ridley has previously said she thought Rey’s heritage was clear in The Force Awakens; it wasn’t until after the film came out she realized things weren’t as transparent as she believed. Many will be curious to learn where the character comes from, which will hopefully shed some light on her immense Force sensitivity. There’s no denying this is one of the most pressing inquires people have about the modern trilogy, but an argument can be made the answer itself won’t be all that revelatory. It’s been made clear that who Rey becomes in these next two films is more pertinent than who she was. Whether she is a descendant of the Skywalkers, Palptaines, or an unknown clan, she is not going to let that past define her – forging her own path as she makes sense of her new place in the universe. Lucasfilm seems to be preparing us for something that isn’t quite as monumental as “I am your father.”

Nevertheless, people will still be on pins and needles waiting for this scene in The Last Jedi, especially keeping Ridley’s quotes in mind. Everyone has their own opinion on the matter, so some are bound to be disappointed, but ideally the general consensus will be that it was worth the wait. Having Rey be related to Luke and Leia certainly has an appeal, though it may be for the better if those characters weren’t connected by blood. Family ties between principal players is already a running joke amongst Star Wars fans, and making Rey a Skywalker would be almost too obvious. If the franchise is to truly expand moving forward, having Rey come from unfamiliar origins would be smart.